Reinsdyr
by omelettethemusical
Summary: Kristoff has a new home and family. But one day, he has to say goodbye to his oldest friend. Takes place after Frozen 2.


**A/N: This goes out to anyone who has ever lost a pet.**

* * *

Kristoff opened the door to the royal stables and found Sven sitting in the corner reserved for him.

"Here you go, buddy," he said, dumping a bag of carrots in front of his friend. "You worked hard today, so eat up and rest so you can work hard tomorrow."

Sven let out a moan. He sounded like he was in pain.

"What's wrong?" Kristoff asked. He held the carrot to Sven's mouth, but Sven refused to eat it.

Kristoff got up. "Stay right here," he said, though he doubted that Sven could go anywhere even if he wanted to. "I'm going to go get the veterinarian."

A few minutes later, Kristoff came back with the royal veterinarian. The vet knelt beside Sven and examined him. He turned to Kristoff, and Kristoff knew it was bad news.

"I'm sorry, your highness," he said. "Sven is very ill. I predict he won't survive the night."

"No," Kristoff whispered. "A-are you sure?"

"Well, one can never be sure about these things," the vet said. "But Sven is very old. Frankly, I'm amazed he's survived this long. All you can do now is make him comfortable." He paused to make sure Kristoff was taking in the information. "Would you like me to inform Queen Anna?"

"Yes," Kristoff said, looking down at Sven. "Please."

"Very well," said the vet, and left the stables.

Kristoff placed a blanket over Sven's back and knelt down beside him. "Well, it looks like this is it," he said. He couldn't bring himself to put any words in Sven's mouth. He did that when he wanted to make light of something, but he didn't feel like he could make light of this. So instead he took out his lute and started to sing.

_Reindeers are better than people_

_Sven, don't you think that's true?_

_"Yeah, people will beat you_

_And curse you and cheat you_

_Every one of 'em's bad, except you."_

Kristoff started crying before he could get to the second verse. He lay down on a pile of hay and stared at the ceiling until Anna and Olaf burst through the door and rushed to his side.

"Anna!" Kristoff said, coming out of his daze. "Olaf!"

"Kristoff!" Anna embraced her husband. She had clearly been crying too. "I came as soon as I heard. And I sent Gale to tell Elsa - she should be here any minute."

"Hey there, Sven," Olaf said, patting the reindeer on the head. "You can have my nose if you want. I don't want it anymore."

Sven slowly opened his mouth and took a small bite of Olaf's nose. Kristoff was amazed by how he seemed to understand. He hadn't eaten the carrots Kristoff had offered him to satisfy his own hunger, but he would eat one because Olaf asked him to.

A silvery blue horse came riding into the stables. Atop it rode a woman in white. She dismounted and bowed to the spirit, which waited beside the other horses.

"Elsa!" said Kristoff. "Thanks for coming. You didn't have to."

"Of course I did," Elsa said. "Sven is my family. I'm always going to be there for my family."

"I just wish there was something I could have done," Kristoff said. "Maybe if I had noticed sooner…"

"You gave him the best life you could, Kristoff," Anna said, holding his hand. "That's what really matters."

"I guess you're right," Kristoff said. "Will you - will you stay with me? And him? Until… the end?"

"Of course we will," Anna said.

The four of them knelt down beside Sven and placed their hands on his back. None of them could pinpoint the exact moment when he died, but his breathing gradually got slower and slower until there was nothing left. Kristoff kissed Sven's forehead and buried his face in his fur.

* * *

The next morning, Sven's body was placed in an ice canoe made by Elsa and draped with a shroud. Kristoff lit a match and tossed it into the canoe. They stood and watched until the reindeer's body was up in smoke. Gale scattered his ashes into the wind and across the fjord.

"You know," Olaf said, "this means that all of us have experienced death. Except you," he said, turning to Kristoff.

"Yeah," Kristoff said. "But I don't think there'll be any coming back from this one."

"Would you like to say a few words?" Anna asked.

Kristoff nodded. He took off his cap and cleared his throat. "Sven," he said, "you have been there for me as long as I can remember. I'm so grateful for the time we had together. I have a new family now, but you will always have a special place in my heart. I just wish there was some way I could show how much you mean to me."

"In a few months, maybe there will be," Anna said.

"What do you mean?" Kristoff asked.

"Well," said Anna, "this isn't exactly how I wanted to tell you, but…"

Kristoff gasped. "No way. You're - "

Elsa embraced her. "Anna, that's wonderful!" she said.

"What?" Olaf said. "What's going on? I don't get it."

"I'm having a baby," Anna said.

"Oh," Olaf said. "That's great! But... what does it have to do with Sven?"

"Well, if it's a boy, I thought we could name him after Sven," Anna said.

"Oh," said Olaf. "Prince Sven. I like the sound of that."

"In the meantime," Elsa said, "I know another way we can remember him." She waved her hands, and there appeared a life-sized ice statue of Sven.

"It's beautiful," Kristoff said. "Thank you."

The four of them turned away from the fjord and headed back to the palace. It was finally starting to feel like winter in Arendelle - real winter, not the kind Elsa had created three years earlier. Kristoff knew he would soon need to find a new reindeer to pull his sleigh, but no reindeer could ever truly replace the one he had lost.

"So, said Anna, bringing him back to reality. "Do you still think reindeers are better than people?"

"Well, they are pretty great," Kristoff said. "But I've learned that people can be all right too, if you give them a chance."


End file.
